Shamrock Rovers travel to Derry on Friday night with the match live on RTÉ2 (kick-off 7.45pm)
It was a great result in Galway winning 2-1 against a team who hadn’t lost at home since April and who present quite a challenge for teams to break them down.
“I thought we did really well up until conceding the penalty as we controlled the game and created a lot of opportunities. Galway do what they do and they are very well organised. They know how to stay in games.
“It is a difficult place to go and with John (Caulfield) and Ollie (Horgan) they know what they are doing and have had success this season in the league. We knew it was going to be a tough game but I thought the players were brilliant. They stayed with the game plan and we got our rewards in the end. We kept believing.”
You must have been happy with Marc McNulty scoring his first goal for the club?
“It was great for Mark to score. He is getting sharper and sharper as the weeks go on. He took his goal really well, as he could have snatched at it but he didn’t. He was probably disappointed he didn’t add to that goal.”
That victory on Monday made it back-to-back wins for Rovers for the first time since April and brought the points tally from the last seven league games to 14 points from the last 21 available. The positive results are coming at a crucial time in the league with games against Derry City, Bohemians and St. Patrick’s Athletic to come in the next week.
“We know what it takes as a team. We have been here before. It is about staying focused and about continuing this good run on Friday night up in Derry. We know it will be a difficult game but the aim is to continue this run, go there and get all three points.”
The 3-1 win the last time Rovers played in Derry in April was an impressive victory but on Friday the Hoops face a City side sitting second in the table and coming off the back of an excellent 2-0 home win in the FAI Cup quarter-final against league leaders Shelbourne last weekend.
“It should be a good game as it is two good sides. We know they are a team full of good players and we are a top team. It has the makings to be a really good match and hopefully both teams will go to try and win, and we will see a good game of football.”
What is the latest on the injury front?
Graham Burke is back and available while both Aarons are back running. Aaron Greene should be available for Monday (at home to Bohemians) but Aaron McEneff will probably be another week or two. We need to check on Sean Hoare on Friday morning but everyone else came through on Monday ok
